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Photo by Viorel Florescu
Participants in the Bronx Artist Documentary Project pose in front of the Andrew Freedman House.
Bold show celebrates Bronx-bred art By Tanisia Morris tmorris@riverdalepress.com
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ith wondrous views of the Harlem and Hudson Rivers from her bright studio in Riverdale, abstract painter and environmentalist Rebecca Allan fuses her acrylic paintings with vivid colors that coalesce fluidly. But when it came time for her to document her painting process with the help of Robert Fass, a Riverdale photographer, she wasn’t sure how the inspiration behind her work would translate through his lens. Her solution: “I chose to wear a brightly colored jacket because I wanted my color to convey the vibrancy that I feel when working in my studio.” Mr. Fass had concerns of his own. “The challenges were creating a safe and non-intrusive environment,” he said. “The creative process is very private. It’s internal in a lot of ways, so you can’t just show up and start shooting without paying attention and getting a sense of that individual’s space.” Both Ms. Allan, 51, and Mr. Fass, 56, are participating in the Bronx Artist Documentary Project, a borough-wide collaboration that brings together 80 Bronxbased visual artists and 30 photographers, who are tasked with documenting local artists as they work in their studios. In celebra-
tion of the Bronx centennial, photographs from the project will be presented in a show opening on Saturday at the Andrew Freedman Home. “The larger concept is that the visual artists are the least visible of all the people in the artistic community because it’s not a performance art,” said co-curator Daniel Hauben, a prolific painter who works in Riverdale. “You see the finished project, but you’re not aware of the work that goes into it.” There are over a dozen artists and photographers from Riverdale, Kingsbridge and Van Cortlandt Village who are participating in the project. The Bronx Artists Collective received over 120 applications while organizing the undertaking, making the most comprehensive database of Bronx artists ever, according to Mr. Hauben. “I lived in relatively anonymity for decades in the Bronx, where I was aware of a few artists in my area, but I didn’t feel a part of anything, per se,” said Mr. Hauben, who is known for his landscapes featuring different Bronx sites. “There’s a lively art community and perhaps by putting something this positive, it can generate a new impression of the Bronx and get us away from the old stereotypes and negative associations.” From mixed media to graffiti, the exhibition has also brought together artists from all walks of
life. “I think that the group is so diverse,” said Hal Katz, 70, a self-taught painter who was photographed by Berthland TekyiBerto for the show. “Every age, every ethnicity is covered, from young to old, Christians, atheists and Jews, but I think the thing that surprised me was the wealth of talent that was hidden prior to the project.” The Bronx Artists Collective hopes to travel the exhibition after its run at the Andrew Freedman Home this fall. According to Mr. Hauben, a book about the Bronx Artist Documentary Project is also in the works. He also said a nonprofit called Yes The Bronx is producing a short film about the project. For many of the artists and photographers featured in the show, the collaboration transcends the local art scene. “Beyond Riverdale, I just feel like this project is groundbreaking and I really hope that it attracts the kind of attention it deserves,” said Mr. Fass. “It’s such quality effort putting into this on both sides of the lens that needs to be celebrated and discovered by everyone.”
ARTIST HAL KATZ in his home studio, photographed by Berthland Tekyi-Berto.
ARTIST ALEXIS MENDOZA fine tunes a charcoal etching, photographed by Osjua A. Newton.
The Bronx Artist Documentary Project’s show opens on Saturday and runs through Wed., Oct. 8, at the Andrew Freedman Home at 1125 Grand Concourse. Admission is free.
ARTIST DANIEL HAUBEN, photographed by Adi Talwar.
ARTIST SYLVIA Vigliani, photographed by Ira Merritt.
GRAFFITI ARTIST JOHN ‘CRASH’ MATOS, photographed by David Gonzalez. These images are in the Bronx Artist Documentary Project’s show.
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